Before beginning your retreat, pause for a few moments and focus your attention on your breathing. Take several deep breaths. Be aware of God’s loving presence within you.

1 John 4:11

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.

Jesus’ passion and death reveal God’s great love for us. It is a love so great that it is almost incomprehensible. And yet it is the foundation for how we are called to love others. God makes his love visible through us. God’s love can be seen in our caring for the sick or walking the extra mile for a stranger. At other times, God’s love can be seen in our reaching out to the less fortunate or spending time with someone who needs a listening ear. Love inspires more love. When we nurture God’s love within ourselves, it is reflected in the ways we show love for others.

How can I make God’s love visible today?

What are some ways I nurture God’s love within me?

(Pray using these words or your own words.)

Thank you, God, for revealing your immense love for us in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. May I open myself more deeply to your love and share it with those I meet.